Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 164: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the rural social scheme has been phased into the 27 Leader areas not originally included in the scheme; the level of interest in the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22758/04]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 203: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the rural social scheme has been extended to all Leader group areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22700/04]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 237: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report on progress to date in relation to the rural social scheme. [22907/04]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 203 and 237 together.

I launched the third phase of the rural social scheme on Tuesday, 28 September. This phase included 17 Leader groups, and following this launch, I can confirm that all 35 spatial Leader groups along with Údarás na Gaeltachta are now implementing the rural social scheme.

To date the total number of applications reported to my Department is 997 and 565 of these have been approved by the implementing bodies. This figure is likely to grow significantly before the end of the year.

At present there are 285 participants, including supervisors, working on the scheme in counties Cork, Kerry, Leitrim and Roscommon and in the Gaeltacht areas in Cork, Galway, Kerry, Mayo and Donegal. A further three Leader groups have indicated to us that they will be ready to commence participants on the scheme during October, resulting in an additional 250 persons starting on the scheme.